Anpanman
His head shaped like an anpan, or Japanese breakfast bun, Anpanman first
hit it big in 1973 as the title character of Yanase Takashi's popular
children's cartoon. Today he's bigger than ever - generations
X, Y, and Z are glued to reruns and flock to the Anpanman Museum in Kahoku.
The best English-language Web site is www.sirius.com/~joyfm/Anpan-land/Anpanland.htm.

Bad Badtz-Maru
Born on April Fools' Day, this bullying black penguin enjoys picking on
stick-in-the-muds and slorping high-end sushi, but his
Sanrio creators insist he's "a good guy at heart." Badtz-Maru hit North
America in 1996 and has appeared grumpily ever since on bookbags, pencils,
T-shirts, and notepads (www.sanrio.com).

Barbapapa
French architect Annette Tison and American scientist Talus Taylor cocreated
this cuddly ectoblob back in 1970, but only recently have Japanese publishers
like Kodansha yanked Barbapapa and his Schmoo-like family out of obscurity.
US fans can ride the swelling Barbawave at
www.imaginet.fr/~mhp.

Bu-ru
A new face in the Pokémon mob, this scrappy little bull debuted
last month in Pikachu's Vacation, the film short that precedes screenings
of Pokémon: The First Movie. He teams up with his blue buddy
Marril to take on archenemies Pikachu, Squirtle, and Bulbasaur
(www.upnetwork.com/movies_info.html).

Chibi Maruko Chan
This queen of cute reigned in 1990, when the Chibi Maruko Chan series
became the highest-rated animated television show in Japanese history. Chibi,
who fronts backpacks and cell phone covers, also has her own board game
(www.sunhingtoys.com).

Chococat
Just released in the US, Sanrio's Chococat has been popular in Japan since
1996, despite his ghostly absence from TV and the company's theme parks.
He's a little scatterbrained
and afraid of the dark, but he's got a technical edge - his whiskers double
as antennas, picking up breaking news and warning him of impending danger
(www.sanrio.com).

Dear Daniel
Daniel premiered in 1993 as a nameless Hello Kitty Babies doll but didn't
hit it big until March, when Puroland reintroduced him as Kitty's childhood
pal/boyfriend. Daniel's US assault started in September, but so far he's
limited to only a few major-market stores
(www.sanrio.co.jp).

Doraemon
This cat android from the 22nd century was created by Fujiko-F-Fujio, a
shared pen name for two designers living in Tokyo. Doraemon packs strange
gizmos in his belly pocket, like a magic door that leads to any desired
destination. Fan swag includes notebooks, cameras, screensavers, and an
email server (www.doramail.com).

Genki-kun
One of many mascots created for Japanese municipalities, this bulb-headed
"little health guy" is the official critter in Toyoshina, a town in Nagano
Prefecture that specializes in growing and packing onions. The blue of
his shorts represents fresh air and clean water.

Jiggly Puff
Probably the second most famous Pocket Monster after Pikachu, Jiggly Puff
escaped from Pokémon Island and into Nintendo's Super Smash Bros.
videogame last April. He's a tough fighter, thanks to his narcoleptic powers:
He can put anyone near him to sleep (animenetwork.com/weddingpeach/jiggly.html).

Jiji
This big-mouthed, tall-eared cat has been a Japanese phenom since her 1989
film debut in Hayao Miyazaki's Kiki's Delivery Service (Majo no Takkyubin).
Jiji is only now starting to gain popularity on this side of the Pacific.
She's available in a hard-to-find plush doll that jiggles
(www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/kiki).

Kuma and Tama
The Japanese health ministry commissioned these button-bellied prototypes
to monitor the elderly and anyone who needs medical attention. Created
by Matsushita, these Furby-like stuffed animals rely on their digital brains
and sensors to respond to owners' moods, strike up a conversation with
a bit of local news, or provide another party with feedback from the patient
who plays with one of these new-millennium fuzzies.

Mewtwo
Star of Pokémon: The First Movie, this lavender, squirrel-like
creature is a bioengineered thingy that first appeared in the Game Boy
Pokémon. This fall's merchandise rollout includes the usual
pileup: stickers, caps, and a series of books
(www.pokemon.com).

Momo
This fluffy, pink quasi-Gumby was born in 1996, when Sony launched its
crew of PostPet virtual email couriers. The more mail it delivers, the
greater the chance this gender-neutral bear has of falling in love, quarreling,
or growing up. PostPets can be found in Japan on digital watches and mini
T-shirts
(www.sony.com.sg/postpet).

Pochacco
A Sanrio-product darling since 1989, Pochacco the dog now costars in
performances at Puroland and Harmonyland, as well as on the TV show
Kitty's Paradise, which airs weekly on Japan's TV Tokyo network.
Pochacco walks on two legs, has a weakness for banana ice cream, and is
known as a busybody (www.sanrio.com).

Ryo-Ohki
This "cabbit" - a cross between a cat and a rabbit - not only meows and
munches carrots but can also walk through walls and has a laser-emitting
gem on her forehead. (Bonus:She can turn herself into a spaceship.) The
fuzziest character from designer Kajishima Masaki's revered anime TV series
Tenchi Muyo, she's available as a popular plush toy
(www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Towers/6075/i-ryo-ohki.html).

Togepi
With his big-screen debut in Pokémon: The First Movie, Togepi
graduates from TV to become a full-fledged game character in the new
Pokémon Silver and Gold series. A favorite since he hatched in
the television episode "Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon" earlier
this year, this egg-shaped creature is available as a plush squeezie
from Hasbro (www.pokemon.com).

Totoro
Totoro (mispronounced Japanese for "troll") has been referred to on fan
Web sites as a "rabbitlike spirit" and "a giant furry thing." The guardian of the
forest in the 1988 children's classic My Neighbor Totoro
(Tonari no Totoro), Totoro appears only before unjaded
children, and disappears without warning. The plush version,
the biggest-selling stuffed toy in the history of Japan, is available
throughout the US
(www.nausicaa.net/miyazaki/totoro).